Fire escape



, (No MoaeL-w P'tented Apr. 30, 1889.

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WITIVESS'ES:

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. P. GOLDMANN.

FIRE ESGAPE. Y

No. 402,437. Patented Apr. Y30, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENTV OFFICE.

PHILIPP GOLDMANN, or NEw YORK, N. Y.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 402,437, dated April 30, 1889.

I Application filed July 20, 188.8. Serial No. 280,490. (Nomodel.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern.- y

Be it known that I, PHILIPP GOLDMANN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county and State of New York,

5 have invented new and useful Improvements in Firediscapes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a device serviceable as a fire-escape, or for ascending or de- Io scending along any object, as set forth in the partly in section. Fig. 2 is a section along the line .fr Fig. 1." Fig. 3 is a detail view of part of the fire-escape. Fig. t is a front elevation, partly in section, of a modification. Fig. 5 isa section in the plane y y, Fig. 4. Fig. Fig. 6 is 'a front elevation, partly in section, of another modication. Fig. 7 is a section in the plane e' e', Fig. 6.1 Fig. 8 is a detail view of part'of Fig. 6. Fig. 9 is a detail view showing the fork or clamp for tightening the brake.

i Similar letters indicate corresponding parts. In the drawings the letter A indicates a frame having a support or rest, B, on which one or more persons or articles can sit, hang,

3o or stand.

C is an axle, onto which is wound av cable, which may be composed of a rope, chain, or band, D, which can be secured to a suitable support, E, such as the edge of a roof. To

3 5 the axle C are fixed ratchet-wheels F G, Fig.

4o These objects maybe accomplished in a variety of equivalent ways, as will be set forth. To the handle I is secured or jointed at K a pawl, L, having an arm or extension, M,'Fig. l. A spring, N, tends to swing the arm M l against the stop O and lift the pawl L out of engagement with the ratchet-wheel G. When the handle I and arm M are grasped and the arm M is pressed toward the handle I, the pawl L is moved into engagement with the 5o ratchet-wheel G, and by then moving the lever I in the direction of arrow 1, Figs. 2 and 3, the ratchet-wheel G andl axle C will be rotated in the direction-of arrow 2, so as to wind up the cord D on the axle C.

To the handle H is jointed at O the pawl P, having the extension or arm Q. A spring, R, tends to force the pawl P out of engagement with the ratchet-wheel F, and by pressing the arm Q and handle H together the pawl P is brought into engagement with the ratchet-wheel F. Said handle H can then be used to aid the handle I in rotating the axle C to wind up the cord D. The handles H I are shown within the reach of a person resting on the support B..

A detent, S, is pressed by the spring T against the ratchet-wheel G and prevents rotation of the axle C in the direction opposed to arrow 2, by which the cord D would be unwound. By allowing the pawls L P to pass out of engagement with the ratchet-wheels F G, and by pressing the handle I in the direction of arrow 1 until its lug R', which is located above the axle C, presses the detent S out of engagement with the ratchet-wheel G, as seen in Fig. 3, the axle C- is free to rotate in the direction opposed to arrow 2, thus unwinding the cord D from the axle O and allowing the frame A and rest B to pass away from the point E.

The handle I, pivotally hung on the axle C, is extended above the latter to form an arm, U, which, when the handle I is pressed far enough in the direction of arrow 1, is brought against the brake-strap V and tightens said strap about the brake-wheel W, secured to the axle C. The axle C can thus haveits rotation retarded or stopped, so that the cordD will not unwind too rapidly. By pressing the handle I more or less in the direction of arrow 1, Fig. 3, the brake-strap V can be forced more or less powerfully against the brake-wheel W, as desired.

As the handle H, with its attachments, acts as an aid to the handle I, said handle H can be dispensedwith, as indicated in Figs. 4 to 9. In the modifications shown in Figs. Il to 9 the pawl L, instead of being secured t0 the handle I bya joint or pivot, K, is-flxed to the handle I by rivets or screws, and said handle I has a slot, X, which enables the handle to sit loosely on the axle C. When the handle I is vmoved to the position shown in Fig. 5, the

pawl L engages the ratchet G, and the handle I can be made to wind up the strap D on the ICO axle C. By moving thehandle I in the direction of arrow 3, Fig. 5, the pawl L will be moved out of gear with the ratchet G. By moving the handle I so that its lug Y comes to rest under the projection or guide Z on the frame A the handle Iwill be prevented from sliding in the direction opposed to arrow 3, and the pawl L will be held out of gear with the ratchet G, as indicated in Fig. 9. By having the slot X provided with two recesses, as shown in Fig. 5*, the handle I can be readily adjusted so as to bring the pawl L into or out of gear with the ratchet-wheel G by simply moving the handle I, so that the axle C comes to rest in one or another of the recesses of the slot X.

In the modilication shown in Figs. G to 9 the arm II of the handle I, instead of acting directly on the brake-band V, is made to press against a lug, d, extending from an arm, b, carrying the clamp or fork c, which engages the brake-band V. IVhen the handle I is pressed with force in the direction of arrow 1, Fig. 8, the extension or arm U presses against the lug d, so as to move the arm b to carry the clamp c away from the brake-band V, and thus diminish the pressure of the brake-band upon the brake-wheel W. By slightly moving the handle I in the direction opposed to arrow 1, Fig. 8, the clamp c is allowed to move toward the brake-band V, so as to compress the same about the wheel IV. From the arm b depend straps a, to which is secured the rest B, so that the weight of a person resting on the rest Bwill tend to draw the clamp c against the brake-band V.

In Fig. 5 is shown a convenient method of attaching the fire-escape. The hook or attaching-point E is secured to an arm,f. Links g connect the arm f to the jaws i by means of joints or pivots h. The jaws 'L' are jointed to one another at 7s. Hooks lenable the jaws i to engage eyes m, secured to a wall or other suitable place. The pull of the frame A upon the .hook E serves to force the hooksl into engagement with the eyes m, so that the hooks Z will not lose their hold on the eyes m.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A lire-escape combining in its structure a frame, A, a suspended support or rest, B, for carrying the person, an axle, C, journaled in the frame, a cable, D, a ratchet-wheel, G, secured to the axle, a detaining-detent, S, pivoted to the frame above the ratchet-wheel to engage therewith, an oscillatory pendent lever, I, pivoted and swinging directly on the axle, extended above the latter, having a lug, R', to disengage the detent from the ratchetwheel when said lever is swung in one direction, and provided with an attached pawl, L,

below the ratchet-wheel to engage and disengage the same, and a brake mechanism for the axle, substantially as described.

2. The combination, in a fire-escape, of a frame, A, an axle, C, journaled therein, a cable, D, a ratchet-wheel, G, and a brake-wheel, W, both fixed to the axle, a brake-band, V, secured to the frame and encircling the brakewheel, and an oscillating lever, I, loosely hung directly from the axle, having a pawl, L, to engage and disengage the ratchet-wheel and extended above the axle into an arm, U, for increasing or diminishing the pressure of the brake-band by the oscillation of said pawlcarrying lever, substantially as described.

3. The combination, in a fire-escape, of a frame, A, an axle, C, journaled therein, a cable, D, a ratchet-wheel, G, and abrake-wheel, W, both fixed to the axle, a brake-band, V, secured to the frame and encircling the brakewheel, a detent, S, on the frame above the ratchet-wheel to engage therewith, an oscillatory pendent lever, I, pivoted and swinging directly on the axle, extended above the same, having a lug, R to disengage the detent from the ratchet-wheel provided with a pawl,L, to engage and disengage the ratchetwheel and extended above the axle into an arm, U, for increasing or diminishing the pressure of the brake-band by the oscillation of said pawl-carrying lever, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the frame A and an axle or bar, C, adapted for the reception of a rope or chain, of a detent and brake, a handle, I, secured by a slot-connection to said axle and adapted to engage the brake and detent, and provided with a pawl, L, adapted to engage a ratchet-wheel, G, connected to said axle or bar, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the frame A and an axle or bar, C, adapted for the reception of a rope or chain, of a detent and brake, a seat or rest, B, made to act on said brake,and a handle, I, adapted to engage said detent and being made to communicate with the seat or rest B, to regulate its action on the brake, substantially as described.

6. An attaching device for lire-escapes, consisting of an arm, f, having an attachingpoint, E, and provided with links g, jointed to the attaching-jaws i, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have here unto set my hand and seal in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. l

PIIILIPP GOLDMANN. [L. 8.]

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